Sierra Nevada Mountain Facts for Kids

Written by alicia purdy| 13/05/2017

The Sierra Nevada Mountains are considered a "young" mountain range. (Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images)

The Sierra Nevada mountains are a range of mountains that extends over 600 miles, from north to south, throughout the state of California. This particular range is considered to be "young" and "active" when compared to other ranges around the rest of the United States. This means that the Sierra Nevada Mountains are continuously being "built" by the shifting of the earth's tectonic plates. This mountain range has a wide variety of weather types from heavy rains to high winds to bright sunshine to snow and an even greater variety of plant and animal life as well as interesting geology.

Geology

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the region of the Sierra Nevada Mountains "provides evidence of ongoing mountain building" which means that the shape and movement of these mountains are influenced by the shifting of tectonic plates beneath the earth's surface. Because of all this shifting, this region is also peppered with volcanoes.The Sierra Nevada Mountains are comprised mostly of granite that was formed from the lava of volcanoes. This mountain range is considered "young" when compared to others because it only started to emerge from the earth due to the erosion of the volcanic rock roughly 5 to 20 million years ago.

Nature

The Sierra Nevada Mountains is well-known for its vibrant display of wildflowers in the summers and its mild climate. Although the highest parts of the Sierra Nevada Mountains will still have some snow even in the summer, the temperatures are generally mild to slightly cool and many people take advantage of the generally pleasant summer weather to engage in outdoor activities like hiking, boating and enjoying the beaches of Lake Tahoe. The rainy season lasts from October to May and, during that time, the higher elevations can receive as much as 30 feet of snow, which makes skiing an ideal sport in this area.

Lake Tahoe

One of the most famous lakes in the United States is found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains: Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe spans a 21-mile by 12-mile area and is an average of 1000 feet deep. Lake Tahoe is also known as the "jewel" of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is heavily protected by the U.S. Government in order to support and preserve its natural beauty, although many parts are open to outdoor sports like boating, rafting, swimming and visiting the beaches. The area is also guarded against wildfires, which can occur at random times due to the dry summer climate.

Conservation and Foliage

Fifteen per cent of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is listed as designated conservation land. Most of the lower portions of the mountain range, however, are privately owned and conservation of the land is left up to the landowners. Because of this, the "biodiversity" -- the variations of thriving plant life -- is considered to be vulnerable. The Sierra Nevada Mountains are a mixture of various types of pine trees, pine and oak woodlands and grasslands. Timber harvest, agricultural development, recreation, animal trapping and mining are some of the most common activities in and around the area.